


Stories of the Second Self: Better Luc Next Time

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [191]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:55:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26102281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Charles joins Howie the Luc Fae in another one of his risky magical experiments. Expressing reservations, Charles watches Howie repeat the process in an old outdoor shooting range.
Series: Alter Idem [191]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Better Luc Next Time

"The last time you did this it exploded," Charles reminded Howie, and passed over the pine-cone he was holding. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Howie, an autumn-gold Luc Fae with three-point antlers, stared down the old shooting field and admitted, "For what I was doing before, no. Seems you can't speed up reseeding trees that fast. But, that's why we came all the way out here so I can try it."

Charles was ready to shield himself with his transparent but highly resilient wings. He'd seen enough of Howie's magic experiments to know unpredictable results might follow.

"Do I need to get an extinguisher, like with the Personification spell on my bed sheets?" Charles cracked, but really was serious.

There was a subtle twitch in Howie's back-pointed ears, as he shifted a hoof back ready to throw. "Hmm, maybe."

Nodding, Charles dropped to a knee and rose his light-bedngin wings up. "Yeah, kinda thought so."

Undaunted, Howie wound up his pitch and hurled the pine-cone as though a batter waited at home plate. However, after the throw Howie curled his right hand as if he still held something. The pine-cone dragged through the air, yet Howie kept his gaze on it as though everything were going according to plan.

Then, in a sudden clench into a fist, Howie seemed to be holding a bright light in his hand. A boom originated from where the pine-cone had been in the air, causing Howie to shield himself and duck. Charles also flinched and felt pieces of the cone rebound off his wings.

When the sharply sweet smoke cleared Charles saw a grin on Howie's face, and remarked, "You're happy with that result aren't you?"

"Yeah," Howie chimed and sized up the debris pattern not quick half-way to where he was throwing. "Got some details to work out, but that's what I wanted."

"An air burst explosion?" Charles admonished, "You're gonna get arrested for crap like this."

"Friend of mine works up in the mountains," Howie replied while picking shards of flash-burned pine-cone out of his hair. "Said she needed a way to clear snow pack after they ran out of nitroglycerin charges."

"The ski resorts are opened back up?" Charles doubted.

"Not yet," Howie answered and tapped his fingers to his chest. "But if I get this right they will. Or, you know, when interstate travel is a thing again. Hand me the next one. I gotta figure out how to give these babies some weight so they don't wiffle-ball it down range like that."

"Pine-cones got a resin in them, right?" Charles just realized, "Can't you just add more?"

"That's what I'm making explode," Howie explained, "And all the other sugars, carbs, and cellulose. I'd get a bigger bang, which I might do anyway. For these, they gotta be thrown or strung up to explode where they want them. And without the spell there's no risk of them blowing up while they're being carried or bumped."

"Still seems like anarchist stuff to me," Charles said.

"I like thinking of it as something Gandalf would do," Howie ventured, thoroughly satisfied with himself. "Ya know, that part in The Hobbit? Yeah. I'm like Gandalf."

"Short, antlered, hoofed, Gandalf who makes bed sheets burst into flames," Charles chided, "I keep doing this for you, so you have a pair of hands to call 911 when you need it."

"Not today though." Howie returned his gaze to the blast pattern. "But thanks for bein' there for me."


End file.
